Party candidates go different ways seeking votes

JD(S) restricts to city; Congress  and BJP focus on outside voters

With barely 20 days left for the Lok Sabha election in the State, on April 17, candidates of prominent political parties in the fray from Mysore-Kodagu segment intensified their campaigning on Friday.

The day belonged to Janata Dal (Secular), in the city, with their nominee and former Upa Lokayukta justice Chandrashekaraiah hitting the campaign trail. Sitting MP and Congress candidate A H Vishwanath and BJP’s Prathapa Simha concentrated outside the city, in different regions. Vishwanath was busy in the hustings at Madikeri in Kodagu district, while Simha went to Mysore rural, conducting padayatra.

Chandrashekaraiah, who began the day by offering puja at the temple of Goddess Chamundeshwari atop Chamundi Hill, sought votes at the busy Devaraja Market on Sayyaji Rao road and its surroundings, before visiting fellow advocates at Law Court’s complex on K R Boulevard.

Chandrashekaraiah, accompanied by former Bar Association president C Appajigowda and JD(S) legal cell chief and advocate Ravichandre Gowda, went to the nook and cranny of the court complex, seeking votes in his favour.

He recalled moments from his career, especially as an advocate. According to an estimate, there are close to 3,000 members in the Mysore Bar Association alone, second after Bangalore. Including seven taluks in Mysore and Kodagu district, the constituency has close to 5,000 voters from the fraternity.

Chandrashekariah told Deccan Herald, “There has been an overwhelming response from the voters, suffice to keep me going, even at the sundown age of 71. I feel young at the hustings”. Ask him about his schedule, he points at Chamundeshwari MLA G T Devegowda. He prefers not even to mutter about his poll rivals.

In a bid to strike a chord in favour of Chandrashekaraiah, Devegowda reminded the advocates that Chandrashekaraiah is closely related to the city of Mysore, as his wife Saraswati is from Ittigegud. 

Not to forget, Devegowda says that the party supremo H D Deve Gowda and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy are the star campaigners, who are expected to descend on the city soon.

Prathapa Simha, accompanied by Chikmagalur MLA and State BJP general secretary C T Ravi, campaigned in the rural parts of the district, covering Bannikuppe, Beechanahalli, Kebbekoppa, Bolanahalli, Halebid, Manuganahalli, Bilikere, Gagenahalli, Chellahalli and Uddur Kaval. MP Vishwanath, who sought votes at Madikeri, is expected to visit Virajpet on Saturday.